It’s almost impossible for filmmakers and executives to discuss sequel ideas without name-dropping Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight (the same goes for discussing reboots / origin stories without citing Batman Begins). Such is the case with director Scott Derrickson, who was recently asked about his ideas for a potential sequel to Doctor Strange. Unsurprisingly, he referenced The Dark Knight — though not entirely without merit.

Not long ago, we compiled a collection of quotes from dozens of filmmakers and execs who compared their tentative or upcoming projects to Nolan’s Batman films and it was a lot. In a new interview with Den of Geek, Scott Derrickson gives us another quote to add to the pile when describing how he’d approach a Doctor Strange sequel:

What made The Dark Knight so great was that the origin story of Batman had been well-told, and then it was time to bring in a villain where you really got to go deep. And not just the Joker, also Two-Face. It was a more visceral experience, I'd love to be able to do that for Doctor Strange.

Nolan’s Bat-films have become shorthand for terms like “gritty reboot” or “grounded superhero film,” but at least Derrickson has a different reason for drawing the comparison, and it’s a good one: The villains. Mads Mikkelsen’s baddie in Doctor Strange is sort of an entry-level villain for Benedict Cumberbatch’s newly-appointed Sorcerer Supreme, but (without spoiling anything) the film teases a more significant foe for him to face in a possible sequel. And there are few (if any) superhero movie villains better than Nolan’s version of The Joker, so that’s definitely a worthy bit of inspiration.

Cumberbatch’s contract with Marvel includes more than one standalone film, so it’s certainly possible — though not guaranteed — that Derrickson could return to helm a future sequel.